Haatem

The real picture emerges when you look at where and how Haatem wins. At Ascot, where he has raced five times, he has won twice, and both victories came a year apart in the same race — the Wolferton in 2024 and 2025. His trainer Richard Hannon, based in Wiltshire, describes him as sound, honest, and versatile, but there is a specific distance where Haatem truly excels. Between seven furlongs and a mile, he wins two races from every five he runs — 40 percent — a rate that tells you exactly where his engine works best. For years, the team kept running him shorter, and he ran respectably but rarely won. Once they stepped him up to seven furlongs and beyond, everything changed. A jockey told Hannon bluntly after a race in France: Haatem does not have the speed for a mile in a sprint; stretch the trip and he thrives. That observation proved accurate, and it has shaped his recent success.

His most recent form shows he has gone six races without a win, finishing fifth just yesterday, but Hannon's plans for him are already in motion. The Wolferton at Royal Ascot in June is the target again, and the trainer sees no reason why he cannot make it three wins in the race. For a horse that spent much of his career in the wrong shape for his talents, Haatem has found his place, and Hannon, who trains a stable sending out 118 winners this season, clearly believes there is more to come from him. In racing, horses that keep people smiling in the office do not always win the biggest races, but they tend to stick around long enough to surprise you.